Radio host Don Imus dies aged 79

Wikinews originally published the following story here

Don Imus publicity photo
Image: Imus.com

Radio personality, television host, and philanthropist Don Imus, known to fans as the I-Man, died on Friday at the Baylor Scott and White Medical Center in College Station, Texas after being hospitalized since Christmas Eve, his family reported. Associated Press reported his cause of death as complications from lung disease. He was 79.

Imus’ syndicated radio show Imus in the Morning aired on various networks from 1968 until his retirement in 2018. The show was simulcast on MSNBC television from 1996 until a racial incident in 2007 and for several years up to 2015 on the Fox Business Network. He was once named one of Time’s 25 most influential Americans, and was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.

Known as a shock jock who made controversial comments, Imus was dropped in 2007 by MSNBC and CBS Radio after he referred to the Rutgers University women’s basketball team as “nappy headed hos.” He later apologized for the comment.

The Unforgivable Sin

The most popular show on television today is canceled and every trace of it removed from the record; a consequence of the show’s top star committing the unforgivable Sin.  This Sin is not spousal abuse, not child molestation, not even murder.  In these twisted times, the unforgivable Sin does not even require a victim. In fact, it does not even require intent.

Escaping the Mental Plantation

 

Image: TIMOTHY A. CLARY, AFP/Getty Images

The thought police want to suppress freedom of thought

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) April 22, 2018

there was a time when slavery was the trend and apparently that time is still upon us. But now it's a mentality.

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) April 22, 2018

This past week, entertainer Kanye West set off a twitterverse supernova with a series of tweets promoting conservative causes, personal responsibility and freedom of thought in the African American community.  The gist of Kanye’s thesis imagines African Americans as the mental slaves of corporate elites; those who encourage people, particularly African Americans, to hate President Trump and disregard his many accomplishments.

Internet Bill of Rights

Milo Yiannopolus, Roger Stone, Paul Nehlen, Jared Taylor, Baked Alaska, Ricky Vaughn, and thousands of supposed “Russian bots” are just a few of those Twitter has permanently banned, seemingly for expressing unpopular political viewpoints.  Wikipedia chronicles the various prominent accounts Twitter has banned and suspended.  Nearly all belong to right wingers.  Internet viewpoint discrimination goes beyond Twitter. YouTube (Google) routinely deletes accounts and videos of right wingers, particularly in the aftermath of the Parkland school shooting.  The problem of Internet censorship is also not isolated to social media.  Most notably, after featuring a joke about the woman who died at the Charlottesville protests, Andrew Anglin’s popular site The Daily Stormer has had to jump from host to host, prompting concerns among civil libertarians.  Once a last refuge for free speech, the Internet has become increasingly less so.  Perhaps we have reached the breaking point.  Is it time to adopt an Internet Bill of Rights to protect our God-given right of free speech on the web?

The New PC Culture

Image: Michael Shirey

Donald Trump’s election as President was, in part, a reaction to PC culture; a culture which regards the utterance of certain speech as worse than the offense of violent crimes. Unfortunately, the election of Trump has not eliminated this culture.  Instead, it has evolved. Some of those who spoke out against PC culture before Trump’s election now enforce their own version of it.  Take a look at a couple recent examples:

“Fake News”

Citizen Journalist Zdenek Gazda changed the course of the 2016 presidential election.

Every time I read the news, I hear about so-called “fake news.”  “Fake news” spread Russian propaganda.  “Fake news” invented Clinton scandals.  “Fake news” elected Donald Trump.  “Fake news” has destroyed American democracy.  And now, the mere mention of a “fake news” story could cause the loss of life.

Hysteria over “fake news” reached a fever pitch with the election of Donald Trump.  The mainstream media had repeatedly declared there was no way Trump could win.

Interview with Independent Presidential Candidate Laurence Kotlikoff

The following was originally published as part of the August 2016 edition of Wikinews’ On the campaign trail series

Kotlikoff in 2011.
Image: Hung-Ho Vergil Yu

In August, economist Laurence Kotlikoff, a Boston University professor and former senior economist of President Ronald Reagan‘s Council of Economic Advisers, secured ballot access for his unconventional presidential campaign in Louisiana and Colorado. In addition, he plans to obtain write-in status in 41 more states. Wikinews reached out to Kotlikoff to discuss his campaign.

Kotlikoff announced his candidacy last May. He named Edward E. Leamer, a professor of economics at UCLA, as his running mate. This is not Kotlikoff’s first run for the presidency. In 2012, he sought the presidential nomination of Americans Elect, which ultimately did not field a candidate. He also briefly sought the Reform Party presidential nomination that year.

Ivanka Trump Wins Reform Party Nomination

Adapted from IPR

Ivanka Trump
Image: Seeds of Peace

According to the New York City Board of Elections, businesswoman Ivanka Trump, daughter of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, won the Reform Party’s primary election for U.S. Congress in New York’s 12th Congressional District.

Trump received 2 write-in votes.  Three other candidates each received one.

The 12th District includes parts of Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn.  Democrat Carolyn Maloney is the current representative.

The Celebration of Submission

In a surreal display Thursday, prominent Internet sites celebrated as the federal government seized control over the last known vehicle for free expression.  Twitter, Reddit, and Buzzfeed all applauded the FCC takeover of the Internet under the guise of “Net Neutrality.”  As these sites ceded freedom for short term convenience, the FCC commenced its crusade against ISPs, opening the door to further Internet regulation—regulation that may not be so benevolent.